New Tenant Checklist for Landlords: Updated for the Renters' Rights Act 2026
By the Husmus Team · Updated April 2026 · 10 min read
The Renters' Rights Act 2025 changes almost every stage of the onboarding process. No fixed terms. No rent in advance, no rent payments before signing. A new required document before the agreement is signed. And stricter rules on who you can and can't turn away.
This guide walks you through the whole process, step by step, updated for 1 May 2026.
Related:The Complete Guide to the UK Renters' Rights Act
A Note on Section 21
30 April 2026 is the last day on which a valid Section 21 notice can be served. Any notice served before that date remains valid, but court proceedings must be initiated by 31 July 2026 — or the notice lapses and cannot be relied upon. After 1 May, landlords must rely entirely on the expanded Section 8 possession grounds.
Before Viewings
Step 1: Set your asking rent and post your advert
Under the Renters' Rights Act, you must publish a single, fixed asking rent across every platform you advertise on. Portals, social media, anywhere. No ranges. No "offers around." Once it is published, you cannot invite, encourage, or accept a higher offer from any applicant. Bidding wars are banned.
Set your rent carefully before you list. Changing it mid-campaign creates legal risk.
While you are at it, refresh your photos and description. Quality property photos are crucial - they're often the first impression potential tenants get of your property. Poor or inaccurate pictures will lead to lower interest and disappointment for those who come to view the home.
Photo tips:
Ensure the property is clean, decluttered, and staged appropriately
Shoot during daylight hours with all interior lights turned on
Open all curtains to maximize natural light
Shoot from corners to show space
Include all rooms, the exterior, and any outdoor space
Landscape orientation works best for portals. Use a wide-angle lens if possible (even smartphone wide-angle modes work well)
Read our Dos and Don’ts of property photography if you are new to it.
There are several sites, such as Spareroom, where you can post an ad for free.
⚠️ RRA rule: Accepting an above-asking offer carries a civil penalty of up to £7,000 for a first breach, rising to £40,000 for repeat offences within five years.
⚠️ RRA rule: You cannot request more than one month's rent upfront, ever. No six months in advance, no matter what the tenant offers. So consider this when setting your rent and creating your advert.
Pro tip: Include a floor plan or virtual tour. It helps tenants to better visualise the space and decide if it for them.
Step 2: Check your compliance certificates
You need to make sure your rental home is safe for people to live in so sort these before you list. If you can afford it, it is also worth scheduling these for when the outbound tenant to leave and your property is empty.
You need:
Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) — ensure yours is valid. Since 2025, new tenancies require a minimum rating of C
Gas Safety Certificate (CP12) — must be renewed annually
Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) — required every 5 years
Smoke and CO alarms — required on each floor; CO alarm in any room with a solid fuel appliance in HMOs.
Legionella risk assessment — particularly relevant if the property has been empty
⚠️ RRA rule: Failing to provide compliance documents at move-in blocks your ability to obtain a possession order under most Section 8 grounds.
Step 3: Screen your enquiries
If you've done a great job with your photography and advert you’ll get plenty of interest. Not all of it will be serious. You don't want to arrange viewings for 50-60 people. We recommend screening the enquiries first to make sure they are serious. To make this easier, have the tenants fill out a screening questionnaire. Send a short screening questionnaire before booking viewings.
Useful questions to ask:
When are you looking to move in?
How long are you planning to stay?
What is your combined household income?
Do you have pets?
Are you comfortable with a reference check?
Why are you leaving your current home?
Only the serious applicants bother to respond. That is the point. Review your responses. Pay close attention to the income sources. It is not worth proceeding with anyone who might struggle to afford the rent. Monthly rent should be around 40% of monthly income (UK average). The South East and London can be up to 60%. Scary right!
⚠️ RRA rule: From 1 May 2026, you cannot screen out applicants because they receive benefits or have children. Blanket "No DSS" or "No kids" policies are illegal. Everyone must be evaluated on their individual affordability and merit.
Pro tip: If the property is still occupied, agree fixed viewing blocks with your outgoing tenant. Nobody likes making the home presentable at the drop of a hat, and constant interruptions sour the relationship. Set specific windows — for example, Saturdays between 10am and 1pm — and stick to them.
Husmus tip: Husmus landlords can skip the DIY screening entirely. Your shortlist is already made up of applicants who have passed our AI-powered assessment. Just review and choose.
Step 4: Arrange viewings
You’ve got times that work for your existing tenant. You have a shortlist. Now meet them.
Pro tip: Text each tenant a few hours before their viewing to confirm they are still coming. Simple, saves wasted trips.
Husmus tip: Open house viewings work well if you have strong interest. Invite several pre-screened applicants over a set window. It is more efficient and creates natural urgency without you needing to manufacture it.
After Viewings
Step 5: Take a holding deposit then pause your advert
You have met your applicants and made your decision. Before referencing begins, send them the How to Rent Guide and take a holding deposit — capped at one week's rent — to confirm their intent to proceed. Give them a written receipt.
Then pause your advert. Do not cancel it yet. The tenancy is not confirmed until everything is signed. Pause, keep your options open.
Pro tip: Only take a holding deposit from someone you are genuinely prepared to take on. You will need to return it if you change your mind.
Step 6: Reference your applicant
This is the most important step. You need to know they can pay and will pay.
What good referencing covers:
Employment and income verification
Previous landlord references or rent verification
Credit history and financial stability
Right to Rent check (a legal requirement)
Identity verification
⚠️ RRA rule: Affordability checks must be applied consistently across all applicants. Inconsistent rejection based on income source or family status can trigger a discrimination claim.
Pro tip: Monthly rent should be no more than around 40% of gross monthly income. In London and the South East, this stretches to around 50–60%.
Husmus tip:Husmus Tenant Referencing gives you a full open-banking financial analysis covering income verification, rent payment history, and over 500 data points. All completed within 24 hours. Pair it with our Rent Guarantee Insurance and you have belt-and-braces protection.
Related:The Ultimate Guide to Tenant Referencing for Landlords
After You Have Chosen a Tenant
Step 7: Prepare the Written Statement and compliance documents
From 1 May 2026, before any tenancy agreement is signed, you must give your tenant a Written Statement of the key terms of their tenancy. This is a new legal requirement under the Renters' Rights Act.
The Written Statement is not the same as the tenancy agreement.
The Written Statement is a prescribed information document. The tenancy agreement is the contract. You can combine them into one document, or provide the Written Statement separately before the agreement is signed. Either way, your tenant must have it before they sign anything.
It must include:
Names of all landlords and tenants
The landlord's contact address for notices
The property address and tenancy start date
The rent amount, payment dates, and a statement that increases must follow Section 13 of the Housing Act 1988
Details on any bills included in the rent or tenants must pay you separately for (this only applies to council tax, utilities, TV licence, TV, internet, cable/satellite TV, energy efficient improvements under a green deal plan)
The security deposit amount
How either party can end the tenancy
Any prior notice for possession grounds you may want to rely on later (particularly relevant to student accommodation)
Declaration of the landlord's repair, fitness for human habitation, disability adaptation as well as electrical and gas safety obligations
A statement that the tenant may request to keep a pet, which cannot be unreasonably refused
At the same time, gather all the other compliance documents:
✅ Gas Safety Certificate (CP12)
✅ Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR)
✅ Energy Performance Certificate (EPC)
✅ How to Rent Guide (most current version)
Combine all of these into a single easily sharable compliance pack.
Step 8: Sign the tenancy agreement and hand over compliance documents
Once the tenant has received the compliance pack, they sign the tenancy agreement. All parties must sign — landlord, all joint tenants, any guarantors. Have your tenant sign and date an acknowledgement receipt for all documents at the point of signing. If you are signing remotely, have them reply to the email confirming receipt. This creates a clean compliance trail.
⚠️ RRA rule: All new tenancies from 1 May 2026 are Assured Periodic Tenancies — rolling month-to-month with no fixed end date. Any clause trying to impose a fixed term is legally void. Update your template before May.
Pro tip: Sign the tenancy agreement last. That way you are sure that everything is in order before you commit.
Step 9: Collect the security deposit and first month's rent
After the agreement is signed, collect both the security deposit and the first month's rent.
The deposit is capped at:
5 weeks' rent for annual rent below £50,000
6 weeks' rent for annual rent of £50,000 or above
If you are using a deposit replacement product instead of a cash deposit, ask for evidence of coverage at this point. Husmus Tenant Shield is available direct to landlords.
The first month's rent can be collected any time between signing and the tenancy start date — what the Act calls the permitted pre-tenancy period.
⚠️ RRA rule: You cannot request the security deposit or rent before the agreement is signed. Any payment collected before signing is a prohibited payment, regardless of how it is labelled or whether the tenant volunteers it. The penalty for prohibited rent in advance is up to £5,000.
⚠️ RRA rule: You cannot request more than one month's rent upfront, ever. No six months in advance, no matter what the tenant offers. The cap applies as a condition of the agreement — you cannot contract around it.
Related:Understanding Tenant Guarantors and the Available Alternatives · Rent Guarantee Insurance: Is It Right for You?
Step 10: Remind your tenant to set up a standing order
Now you have received the deposit and first month's rent, ask your tenant to set up a standing order for future monthly payments. Get this confirmed before move-in day.
Step 11: Protect the deposit and update your insurance
Register the security deposit in a government-approved scheme within 30 days of receiving it. Serve the prescribed information to your tenant within the same window.
The three approved schemes are:
Deposit Protection Service (DPS)
MyDeposits
Tenancy Deposit Scheme (TDS)
Update any landlord insurance with the new tenancy details.
⚠️ RRA rule: Failing to protect the deposit means you cannot obtain a possession order under most Section 8 grounds for as long as the breach continues.
Pro tip: If you secured a tenant well ahead of the move-in date, you can wait until closer to the start date before accepting the full deposit. The 30-day clock starts from receipt, not from signing.
Step 12: Prepare the property
Put right anything flagged in the outgoing tenant's checkout inventory. If you are refurbishing, now is the time.
Pro tip: Ask your incoming tenant if they have any preferences on décor. Tenants who feel at home stay longer.
Step 13: Check-in walkthrough and inventory
On move-in day, walk through the property with the tenant. Cover:
How to use smoke and CO alarms, and how to change the batteries
Location of the electric panel, gas meter, and water stopcock
How to use the boiler, heating controls, and any white goods
Any quirks of the property worth knowing
Go through the inventory together and have them sign it.
Pro tip: Pre-fill the inventory before move-in day so the walkthrough is quick and focused. Give your tenant 5 days to raise any challenges in writing.
Step 14: Hand over the keys and final documents
Hand over the keys and provide the final documents your tenant needs:
✅ Deposit protection certificate and prescribed information
✅ Signed inventory
Wish them well. Then a few final things to do.
Step 15: Cancel your advert
Your tenant is in. Cancel the listing.
Ongoing: Rent Increases and Pet Requests
Two things to plan for during the tenancy.
Pet requests. Your tenant has the right to request a pet. You must respond in writing within 28 days. You can only refuse on reasonable grounds. You cannot require pet insurance — this provision was removed from the Act. You can, however, use the deposit to cover any pet damage at the end of the tenancy.
Rent increases. You can only raise the rent once per year, using the statutory Section 13 procedure (Form 4A), with a minimum of two months' notice. Contractual rent review clauses — including anything RPI or CPI-linked — are void from 1 May 2026. Your tenant can challenge increases at the First-tier Tribunal, which can confirm or reduce the proposed rent but cannot increase it.
For Existing Tenants: The Information Sheet Deadline
If you have tenants with existing written tenancy agreements, these automatically convert to Assured Periodic Tenancies on 1 May 2026. You do not need to issue new contracts. But you must serve every named tenant with the official Renters' Rights Act Information Sheet 2026 by 31 May 2026.
Download the exact PDF from GOV.UK
Do not send a link — the document itself must be provided
Fine for missing the deadline: up to £7,000
If any tenancy was agreed verbally with no written agreement, you cannot use the Information Sheet. Instead, you must provide a full Written Statement of Terms by 31 May 2026.
Need help finding the right tenant for the new rules? Husmus open-banking assessments give you bias-free, audit-ready referencing built for the post-RRA market. Find out how it works →
This guide reflects the Renters' Rights Act 2025 and associated regulations as at April 2026. It does not constitute legal advice. Seek independent legal guidance for your specific situation.
Quick Reference: What You Can and Cannot Do
| Action | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Publish a fixed asking rent | ✔Required | Single figure, all channels |
| Accept above-asking offers | ✖Prohibited | £7,000+ civil penalty |
| Use "No DSS" or "No children" screening | ✖Prohibited | In force since 27 Dec 2025 |
| Require pet insurance from a tenant | ✖Prohibited | Cannot increase deposit for pets either. Can purchase via landlord insurance |
| Take rent before agreement is signed | ✖Prohibited | Prohibited payment — absolute ban |
| Request more than 1 month's rent upfront | ✖Prohibited | Cap applies regardless of circumstances. Use guarantor or rent guarantee insurance |
| Use a fixed-term tenancy | ✖Void | Any fixed-term clause is unenforceable |
| Provide Written Statement before signing | ✔Required | Pre-signature, not just pre-occupation |
| Serve Government Information Sheet (existing tenants) | ✔Required by 31 May 2026 | Exact GOV.UK PDF; cannot link to it |
| Collect security deposit (at signing) | ✔At Step 4 | 5 or 6 weeks depending on annual rent |
| Protect deposit within 30 days | ✔Required | Blocks most Section 8 grounds if missed |
| Serve Ground 4A notice at tenancy start (student HMOs) | ✔Required | Cannot be issued retrospectively |
| Challenge initial rent via tribunal (tenant right) | ✔Tenant right | Within 6 months of new tenancy |
| Raise rent via Section 13 / Form 4A | ✔Required | 2 months' notice, once per year maximum |
| Use contractual rent review clauses | ✖Void | Includes RPI and CPI-linked reviews |
Why Getting This Right from Day One Matters
The RRA offers little grace for procedural errors. Several obligations are point-in-time requirements — miss them and they cannot be corrected after the fact. The Ground 4A notice for student HMOs is the clearest example: serve it late, and your possession route closes permanently for that tenancy.
The financial penalties are cumulative. An agent who accepts an above-asking offer, takes two months' rent upfront, and fails to protect the deposit is looking at overlapping breach exposure across three separate provisions — potentially exceeding £21,000 in civil penalties for a single tenancy. Continued breach beyond 28 days after a penalty notice, or a second breach within five years, escalates to up to £40,000 or criminal prosecution.
The agents best placed after May 2026 are those who have built the new sequence into their systems now — not as a checklist consulted when something goes wrong, but as a standardised workflow every new tenancy moves through automatically.
Husmus helps agents stay ahead of the RRA. Our AI-powered tenant assessments are built for the new compliance environment — open banking-verified affordability checks, bias-free screening that meets the Act's anti-discrimination requirements, and audit-ready reporting. Purpose-built for the post-RRA letting market. Learn how Husmus works → · Rent Guarantee Insurance →
Disclaimer: This article reflects our interpretation of the Renters' Rights Act 2025 and associated regulations as at April 2026. It does not constitute legal advice. Landlords and agents should seek independent legal guidance on their specific compliance obligations. PRS Database, PRS Ombudsman, Awaab's Law, and Decent Homes Standard implementation timelines remain subject to further secondary legislation and MHCLG confirmation.